Dec 08 – Gibraltar Schools Operate Zero-Tolerance Policy Towards Bullying
Schools across Gibraltar have a strict zero-tolerance policy towards bullying, with one single bullying incident seen as “one incident too many".
YGTV spoke to Darren Grech, the acting Director of Education, after a mother took to social media to address her son's alleged bullying.
Mr Grech urges parents and students to engage with the school immediately to ensure the bullying incident is investigated.
He said: “All bullying incidents are thoroughly investigated, and it is not always easy.
“There are many variables which can impact on why a situation is arising in school with a child but clearly we take on board the big challenge that it is to face up to these reports of bullying and we then, obviously, offer support and try and find out what’s happened and why a child is being bullied and the circumstances leading up to the bullying and what is the nature of the bullying.
“We will talk to the bullies, and make them see that they are having a very negative and detrimental effect on the victim.
“Invariably, sometimes it transpires that they will not even realise, but if it’s serious and they realise they are causing a lot of harm, then there are discipline measures which are brought to bear.
“At the prevention stage, there is a very clear programme run in our schools where bullying is flagged and we celebrate our differences, whether it’s black, white, Asian, whether it’s gay or straight, we just celebrate our differences.
“I think we’ve got to do some more work, but I’d like to think we’ve advanced quite a lot.”
Mr Grech said the schools are adamant in tackling bullying with teachers undergoing training to target cases in schools adequately.
Bullying is worse in Gibraltar’s secondary schools, with more than 2,000 pupils attending Westside and Bayside combined.
Mr Grech said: “Of course bullying takes place, it hasn’t led to police intervention, but the question for the schools, teachers and even the Department of Education, is to ensure that any bullying is dealt with head on, and to try to educate and prevent, and deal with it in the best way that they can.”
However, he adds that with increasing use of social media, there are new ways for children to bully each other, and insists that parents should gain their child’s trust so that they are aware of what their children are doing and ensuring that, if they do use social media, they’re doing so properly.
As for the children in school, Mr Grech’s message to them is to always strive to surround themselves with people they trust, and never to put themselves in a situation in which they are not comfortable with what they are doing.
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